


Peppermint and Sour Candy

by woodsinautumn



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Gen, M/M, One Shot, Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:40:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24812482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woodsinautumn/pseuds/woodsinautumn
Summary: Adam stumbles upon the detective during their group night patrol. Now he is forced to wait with him until they all regroup. Totally forced. But alas he must suffer through the night for the sake of the mission; spending it with this attractive and friendly man. What a martyr.
Relationships: Detective/Adam du Mortain, Male Detective/Adam du Mortain
Kudos: 18





	Peppermint and Sour Candy

**Author's Note:**

> Why am I always writing through the perspective of a repressed weirdo? I think isolation has got me feeling just as repressed thats why lmao.

Upon making the final rounds on his patrol route, Adam sees Ash’s silhouette against the lamplight. The young detective shifts his weight from foot to foot as he wraps his arms around himself. Obviously bored and cold, and yet, Adam notices with an impressed brow; Ash’s eyes still survey the area thoroughly, shrewd and intelligent, unwavering.

Adam has to admit reluctantly to himself; the detective is certainly good at what he does. For a human. His eyes soften as he remembers the way Ash comforted that grieving mother, the maturity and sensitivity in which he handles those around him is commendable. But not useful for this mission, Adam reminds himself. 

It’s painfully clear how much Ash cares for the people of Wayhaven; and how important stopping these murders is to him. The open way in which Ash expresses emotion makes Adams chest tighten, how can someone be so unguarded? Especially someone as vulnerable as a human. 

Why should he care? If the human wants to throw himself at headfirst off every cliff that’s his prerogative, it’s not Adams problem. 

Then why hasn’t the knot in his chest subsided? 

Because it’s part of the mission, protect the detective until the vampire is caught, then this will all be over and I’ll never have to deal with him again. Adam hated that the thought of never seeing Ash again made his shoulders instinctively drop. 

As he makes his way towards the detective, the other man stiffens with alertness. However, Ash quickly relaxes as the light illuminates Adam emerging from the shadows.

"Adam!" Ash exclaims, clearly relieved to have found him as opposed to a serial killer in the dead of night.  
He replies only with the slightest glance in the detective’s direction. "I apologize. I didn't mean to startle you."  
"Have you found anything?" Ash asks. "Seen anyone?"

He shakes his head in reply. "The others will be reporting in with us soon. We can wait until then."  
Adam keeps his meticulously stoic expression turned away from the detective. Making a point by ignoring the way the moonlight illuminates Ash’s soft face with an almost ethereal glow. 

Tension leaves Ash’s body as they stand side by side; Adam can hear a small sigh escape his lips as he looks over into the dark. 

His shoulders tense as he realizes that Ash’s sense of security comes from standing next to him. At first it makes Adam feel warm, then he remembers, if Ash knew what he was; he’d be absolutely horrified. 

The thought of Ash’s face turning away in disgust makes Adam flare up in anger, his impassive mask cracking slightly into a scowl. Just who he’s angry at? He isn’t sure. 

The Brooding thoughts storming around his mind are disturbed when he notices Ash’s face turned towards him; and there definitely aren’t any signs of disgust on his features, quite the opposite actually. 

Don’t ridiculous Adam, focus on the task at hand. 

He tries to ignore the way Ash had lightly bit his lip while glancing at him. 

The detective shakes his head suddenly, looking slightly sheepish. Then, after a pause, takes something out of his coat. A small pack of sour sweets. Adam had already caught onto the scent lingering around Ash, the acidity of the candy was softened by the scent of peppermint. 

It was nice.

“I don’t suppose you like sweets?” Ash offers him the packet. The taller man merely shakes his head, without even looking at the detective. Ash pulls his arm back and Adam most certainly does not find his gaze dropping towards Ash’s lips as he places a candy in his mouth. 

"Tell me, Detective, how did someone so…young…become a detective so quickly?" Adam asks, in an attempt to move the trajectory of his thoughts away from the other man’s lips.

Ash’s intelligent eyes narrow, clearly noticing that ‘young’ is a euphemism for inexperienced. "Detective Reele was retiring," Ash explains. "The police captain and the mayor decided I was best to replace her." There’s obvious acidity in Ash’s tone, Adam could guess that working for an old small-town detective wasn’t the most prolific career path. 

Especially for someone like Ash.

"I'm surprised. You are far more competent than most detectives I've met." The words come out before Adam realizes he had just given him a complement. 

Ash’s eyes widen at the statement, as if unsure for a moment if he actually heard Adam correctly. Adam sucks in a breath, he had not meant to say that out loud.

Even if it was true. 

"Really?" Ash asks, the question filled with bitter mirth. "Because all of your hostility would suggest otherwise." 

"That's business, Detective," He replies, his voice without pause and full of self-assurance. "My job." Adam has a mission to see through, and no one is to get in his way. Especially not the detective.

"Your job is to come into my station and try to take over?" Ash huffs, crossing my arms. An amused smile flickers at the corner of Adams lips. He’d never admit how much he actually enjoys these little spats. "It's nothing personal."

Adams briefly brightened mood abruptly drops as he suddenly jerks backward a step, twisting around to stare into the shadowed streets beyond. The sweet and sharp smell of Ash is gone, now something vile and putrid in its wake. 

It seems to be approaching.

"What is it?" Despite being completely in the dark both literally and figuratively, Ash does his best to spot just what put Adam on such high alert. "I don't know…" Adam says, his mind reeling too fast to finish the sentence. 

Adam’s entire body tenses up into one sentient knot as he feels the vicious scent coming closer; his mind whirs at break neck speed. He has to think of something.

Right. Now. 

The barest whiff of peppermint still lingers in the air. Of course! Its Ash’s scent the vampire’s following.

Adam whips around hard enough to make the detective flinch. Without giving Ash a chance to speak, he snaps "You must be cold". The question was merely a formality, Adam whips his coat off and envelopes Ash in it before the other man even has the chance to argue. He can only hope the coat is large enough to mask Ash’s scent completely. 

His grip is iron around the lapels of the heavy woolen coat, tightening it around the detective as he subconsciously brings the man slightly closer to his chest.   
The other vampire's scent drifts away steadily, and Adam lets out a small sigh of relief. It had been a brash move, but one that had clearly paid off. 

Only with the imminent threat gone does Adam notice the lack of space between Ash and him. He hears the fast fluttering’s of a heartbeat, and he’s not sure which one of them it belongs to. Both of them probably. 

Their closeness had electrified the detective enough to send his heartbeat racing. That, or more likely due to the fact that had been Ash valiantly struggling in a coat for a good few minutes. Adam can't help but drop his shoulders in slight disappointment at this realization. 

"Here," Adam says, heaving the coat off. "It was meant as a kind gesture, that's all."

"Well, next time, ask before swamping me in your clothing," Ash says, annoyance sharpening the edges of his voice. He instantly groans at the double entendre of his own statement. 

Adam huffs out a sharp breath, punching his hands back into the sleeves of the coat. If the human knew that he’d just saved his life, maybe he wouldn’t be so petulant. 

Well, it was Adam who was actively keeping him in the dark. As he should. The human had no business knowing about the supernatural world; besides, Adam was doing the detective a favor by hiding the grim reality of the world he actually lived in. “We should regroup with the rest of the unit.” He says, Ash merely nods. Too confused by the peculiarity of the last few minutes to give a proper response. 

Walking in tandem back down the street, Adams posture softens just barely as the air around him drifts with the scent of peppermint once more.


End file.
